Eastminster Garden is a place of quiet beauty planted with perennials and has been established as a multi-purpose area for the fulfillment of the life and mission of Eastminster. It was formally dedicated on September 23, 1990.
The Garden is available to members of Eastminster and friends of members whose plans at death include the interment of ashes. The Garden is not a cemetery, and permanent markers are not permitted to mark the location of ashes.
A bronze plaque has been mounted inside the church near the garden for the recording of names. The inscription contains the name of the deceased and their date of birth and death.
A Memorial Book is maintained by the church as a permanent record of those interred at the Garden. A record is kept of names, place and date of birth and death, and the date of interment.
Interment of ashes will be directly into the ground. Containers are not permitted. Records of interment locations are not kept. Special flowers or plantings are not permitted to designate the location of ashes in the Garden. Interment services are conducted by the pastor of Eastminster Presbyterian Church.
Initial Plantings
In 1990, the following plants were planted in the garden. All came from Cottage Gardens through Kirby Cooper.
Korean Boxwood
Hughes Juniper
Cranberry Cotoeaster
Lemon-lime Variegated Euonymus
Ivory Jade Euonymus
Dwarf Burning Bush
“Crimson Queen” Japanese Laceleaf Maple
Crabapple
Pinus Mugo
Picea Alies Pumila
Taxus Nigra
Sand Cherry
Garden Renovation
In 2012, the Eastminster Session agreed to launch a campaign to renovate and expand the Eastminster Garden.
Renovation included replacing railroad ties on the steps and walls with Canadian outcropping stone and the patio bricks with oversized flagstone. The garden was slightly expanded by removing the north steps and creating a planting bed. great care was taken not to disturb the beds where ashes were interred.
